Argon 18 Dark Matter Gravel Bike
Another Canadian brand showing off their mixed terrain bikes was Argon 18. The company’s bikes are a common sight at road and triathlon events, but its lineup has been limited mostly to the road, save the recent Krypton XRoad model.
The new Dark Matter takes a deeper plunge into the gravel realm with more clearance on a frame that looks similar to the Krypton series.
Argon 18 had this unreleased gravel bike on display. It appears to draw heavily on the Krypton endurance line. © Cyclocross Magazine
While the Krypton XRoad was limited to 32mm of clearance, the Dark Matter adopts a dropped chainstay to provide more room for gravel tires. Accordingly, the company had new Challenge Gravel Grinder tubeless tires mounted up. The bike sported a SRAM Force 1 drivetrain with plenty of cogs for climbing in the rear.
Dropped drive side chainstays are somewhat of a trend right now, but are a first for Argon 18. © Cyclocross Magazine
More info: argon18bike.com
